Sofia Vergara Helped Ariel Winter Ignore the Body Shamers. We Can Do the Same for Our Friends

Most of us would like to forget our awkward teenage years, but that’s not so easy for Ariel Winter. The actress, who plays Alex Dunphy on Modern Family, has been in the public eye since she was 11.

Photos: ABC/ Getty Images Now 18, Winter has endured lots of body shaming. In an interview with New York magazine, Winter says she tried crash diets and changing the way she dressed to please fans, but it wasn’t until she started to ignore the comments that she actually started loving her body. Luckily, she had some badass role models, including Sofia Vergara, to help her get to the point where she could ignore the haters:

Working with Sofia Vergara and growing up with her was great, because she was, you know, a really amazing, curvy role model for me. She helped me learn to accept the way I looked and love it and dress for it, and feel good about myself. My sister was also amazing for me, because she was the type of person who would go to the grocery store in sandals and socks and pajamas, and would feel great about herself. Then she’d go out to an event and get dressed up, and feel the same amount of great about herself.

While we don’t have the luxury of turning to Sofia Vergara when we need a body-positive pep talk, Winter’s story is a great reminder that most of us can (and should) reach out to friends and family when we’re struggling with loving our body.

This article was written by Alyssa Raiola from Greatist and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.